


Stranger Things Have Happened

by loser_lover



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, susie is also basically the older sister of the whole party, susie is the best babysitter, woof - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 12:37:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17022762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loser_lover/pseuds/loser_lover
Summary: Susie Henderson is your normal, everyday, 1984 teenager. . . of course, what teenager doesn't have secrets?





	1. Introduction

        The year was 1983 and Susanna Clementine Henderson, or Susie, as she preferred to be called, was your average, normal, everyday teenager: she was good in school, well-liked and had a tight-knit group of friends. Minus the fact that she was extremely pretty and every boy in school wanted to date her, was for sure going to be salutatorian, if not valedictorian, and basically had 4 middle school-aged kids whom she adored with all her heart. 

But aside from that, completely and totally normal.

And of course she had her secrets. What normal teen didn’t? 

        However, most secrets were something simple like a weird birthmark or an embarrassing crush, not having one of your ‘children’ go missing—taken from you by an interdimensional beast to an upside-down version of your world—and have the remaining kids find a girl with crazy telekinetic powers who had just broken out of a government testing facility—who later sacrificed herself to save everyone in your dimension as well as save the kid in the upside-down—get taken to that upside-down world and have the monster try to kill you, try to kill the other teenagers in your world, try to kill your kids and then have everyone—including all four kids, four teenagers including yourself, the missing kid’s actual mom, and the police chief—sworn into secrecy by the government . . . Just a little thing.

        That all having gone on the previous year, everything seemed to return to normal. Everyone continued on with their lives in . . . somewhat normalcy.

Until the new kids arrived.

Billy Hargrove and his charming kid step-sister Max Mayfield. 

        A  _ lot _ of the kids at Hawkins High were assholes, but Billy really took the cake. He terrorized everyone whose pants he didn’t want to get in.

And he  _ definitely _ wanted to get in Susie’s pants.

 


	2. Maxine

        Susie was chilling in the Hawkins Middle School parking lot, sitting on the hood of her yellow ‘69 Pontiac Firebird, waiting for her ‘kids’: her little brother and pride and joy Dustin and his best friends Mike, Will, and Lucas. Once they walked out the doors and spotted her, they all came running, with Lucas a few steps behind them dragging a girl she didn’t recognise by the arm, to jump into her outstretched arms.

        “Susie!” Dustin, Mike, and Will cried before launching themselves at her while Lucas stood beside the girl, everyone smiling and laughing until Susie let out a light hiss in pain and everyone’s faces morphed into worry. She looked around at the concerned faces and let out a light laugh that lifted their spirits, if only a little.

        “Don’t worry, guys. My arm is just sore and someone bumped it. I’m fine.” She said, lightly gripping her left bicep.

        “What’s wrong with your arm, Susie?” Dustin asked with furrowed brows and a serious voice and Susie giggled at her little brother’s overprotectiveness before she started to look a little guilty.

        “Well, I actually just got a tattoo and—” and before she could explain it hurt because it was fresh, having gotten it literally hours ago, the boys burst into excited chatter. All the boys, including Lucas who initially held back, crowded around Susie to gape at her new ink.

        She pulled off the sleeve on her left arm to reveal a saying written in a delicate handwritten font that they immediately recognised as hers on her inner bicep:

**friends** **don’t**

**lie**

****         They all gushed over it while Susie chuckled at their excitement before looking up at the new kid, looking around nervously with her hands in her pockets.

        “And who might you be?” Susie asked in a gentle voice, not wanting to scare the girl away, as she pulled her jacket sleeve back on.

        The girl tried to get out her name before Mike quickly turned around and cut her off with a loud groan.

        “Lucas!” Mike said angrily, his prepubescent voice cracking at the strain he put on the name, surprising Susie with the quick change in his demeanor. “I thought we agreed we weren’t accepting new party members!” Lucas got ready to fire back but Susie stopped him with just a look.

        “Michael!” Susie said in a scolding tone of voice. “Give her a chance to say her name at least.” Mike crossed his arms, still mad, and looked away, a little sheepish and red in the face with Will smiling gently at the boy as he patted his arm.

        “I’m—” and she was cut off yet again with a jump and the screeching of tires and a car door popping open; causing Susie to instinctively stand and tense, ready to protect the kids—including the new girl—should she need to.

        “Hey, Shitbird!” A boy called out the car door and Susie immediately recognised him as Billy Hargrove. She shot a concerned look at the suddenly pale girl, frozen on the spot.

        She quickly recognised the fear in her eyes and asked her if she wanted her to walk her over. The redhead rapidly nodded her head and Susie shot a look at the boys that told them  _ ‘get in the car and stay put’ _   before confidently striding over to the rumbling muscle car with the girl tucked a little behind her, obviously realising Susie was someone she could trust.

        As they were walking over, Billy’s eyes widened at the sight of one of the most beautiful, well-liked girls at school—in hip-hugging, high-waisted jeans with a tight button up shirt tucked in and some red, white and blue adidas’ with an oversized acid-wash jean jacket to top it all off—and almost scrambled out of the driver’s seat to make a move.

        Just as they were walking up to him, Billy leaned on the roof of his car with his shirt basically all the way unbuttoned and smoothed his long hair back with a slick, greasy smile on his face.

        “I see you’ve got my kid step-sister . . . Susie, right?” He said as if he didn’t know her name.

        “Yeah,” she said cooly, a neutral expression on her face and an eyebrow raised before morphing into a softer, more kind look. “I can drive her home, if you want, if it isn’t an inconvenience to you.” Susie said sweetly as she placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, shocking her a bit but trying her hardest to convince him to let her take her.

        “Well, that’s very kind of you, sweetheart,” Susie inwardly cringed at the pet name. “But unfortunately, I’m gonna have to refuse your offer.”

        “Oh?” Susie asked, feigning innocence as she tilted her head like a confused puppy, a little pout on her lips and lightly furrowed brows.

        “My old man’d kill me if I didn’t drive ‘er.”

        “Alright, just let me know if she needs one, yeah?” Susie said, gently squeezing the girl in question’s shoulder.

        “Actually,” Billy said as he stepped closer to them and Susie felt the girl tense up at his advance. “There  is   _something_ you could do . . . for me.” the smirk on his face growing more sinister the closer he got.

        “Yeah?” Susie said, inwardly shaking but keeping her resolve, if not for herself, but for the girl as well as the kids surely watching from her car.

        “I was wondering if you’d like to go with me to that Halloween party Tina’s throwing. I’m thinkin’ we could have a  _ real good time _ .”

        Now, let me just say Susie wasn’t dumb. She was smart.  _ Really _  smart.

        She knew Billy was an asshole, that she didn’t have to be smart to see, but she was insightful enough to see the malicious glimmer in his dark eyes.

        “Sure!” She said with a smile, playing dumb yet again, and he smiled at her answer. “I’d just have to drop off my brother at his friend’s house . . . wanna just meet up there?”

        “Sure, sweetheart.” He smirked and she inwardly grimaced again. “I’ll see you ‘round school.” he said with a wink before turning to sit back in the driver’s seat.

        As soon as he had his back turned, the girl looked at Susie with fear in her eyes, but Susie reassured her with a sly wink and she seemed to relax, if only a bit, before going to sit in the passenger seat.

        “Oh! Hey!” Susie called just before she shut the car door. “I never got your name!” The girl smiled before shouting back out the open window before her brother pulled away:

_ “It’s Max!” _


	3. Secrets

        “Watch the attitude, shitbird.” Billy growled before speeding off in his usual fashion.

        Max sighed as she entered the arcade and walked up to her favourite game Dig-Dug, only to find an out of order sign taped to the screen. The nerd always eating cheese puffs walked up to her and leaned on the video game.

        “Sorry about that, Road Warrior.”

        “What happened?” She cried, obviously upset about her favourite game.

        “Short circuit in the motherboard.” He said, lovingly patting the machine like an injured pet. “A real bummer. But fret not. I got another machine up and running in the back.” He beckoned her to follow and led her behind the counter.

        “Hold these.” He said, handing her his bag of cheese puffs and unlocking the door before stepping back and letting her in. She looked at him oddly, shoving his bag back in his hands and stepping in, only to find Lucas sitting on a stool and a teenage girl standing behind him with her arms crossed, a mop of curls and thick glasses perched on her head. Lucas smiled sheepishly at having tricked her. She sighed and turned around only for the arcade worker to point his cheesy finger at Lucas saying,

        “You better get me that date now, Sinclair.”

        “Don’t I get any say in whether or not I go on a date with him?” the teenager said, as if to a brick wall as Lucas glanced back at her sympathetically.

        “And keep things PG in here, alright?” the worker said, closing the door behind him.

        “Jesus.” she mumbled under her breath.

        “What’s this shit, stalker?” Max growled before turning to the teenager with a pleading look in her eyes, hoping that she was only here because Lucas forced her to.

        “Remember Susie? Dustin’s older sister? And I’m sorry. We just needed a safe place.” Lucas explained.

        “A safe place to what?” asked Max angrily, she was tired of the bullshit. “Be creepy?”

        “Listen,” Susie said gently, as if she were talking to someone dangerous, someone who could go off at any moment, as she stepped into the conversation. She let her arms fall to seem less defensive and more open. “We’re gonna tell you the truth about everything that happened last year.”

        “But if anyone finds out, you could be arrested.” Lucas butted in, “Possibly killed.”

        “Killed?!” she screeched, still disbelieving.

        “I need to know.” he said, suddenly serious. “Do you accept the risk?”

        “Oh my God! This is so stupid!” Max yelled. Susie stepped closer and squatted down, grabbing her forearm.

        “Do you, accept the risk?” It was silent as Mad Max contemplated her decision.

        “Yeah. Sure. Fine. I accept the risk. Let’s hear it.”

        Susie and Lucas looked at each other, a sort of sadness twinkling in their eyes and a sorrowful look on their faces.

        “Last year, Will didn’t get lost in the woods.” Susie started.

        “He got lost somewhere else.”

 

* * *

 

        “And that was the last we ever saw of her.” Lucas finished sadly.

        “I can’t believe it’s been that long.” Susie mumbled and he nodded. “Feels like just last month.”

        “Yeah,” he murmured.

        “I mean,” Max spoke up. “I bet.”

        Silence.

        “Wow.” she continued. “It’s crazy.”

        “I know.” Lucas said forlornly.

        “It’s crazy, but I really liked it.”

        “Liked it?” Lucas asked, glancing at Susie with furrowed brows and a frown etched on his face to find the expression mirrored on hers.

        “Yeah! Well, I mean it had a few issues.” Max continued.

        “Issues?”

        “I think it was a little derivative in parts.”

        “What are you talking about?” Lucas asked, getting more frustrated by the second.

        “I just wish it had a little more originality.” Max shrugged. “That’s all.”

        “You don’t believe us.” Lucas whimpered.

        “Dude, come on, seriously?” Max asked incredulously. “How gullible do you think I am?”

        “Why would we would make this up!?”

        “I don’t know!” the redhead yelled. “To impress me or something? Or, you’re just, like, insane?”

        Susie had watched Max and Lucas bicker back and forth and she was ready to put in her two-cents.

        “We tell you all of this. And I mean, top-secret stuff. Risking our lives. And this is how you react?”

        “Risking your life?” Max chuckled out.

        Susie narrowed her eyes and looked at Lucas, then back at Max.

        “Oh, so is this funny to you?” the teen said seriously, hoping the younger girl would finally get that this wasn’t just some joke.

        “Yeah.” Max said. “I mean, kind of funny . . . Stupid, but funny.” she then gathered up her skateboard and headed for the exit. Lucas quickly stood up.

        “Where are you going?” he asked.

        “Story time’s over, isn’t it?” she said.

        “What’s wrong with you?” Lucas demanded, getting obviously upset. “I - We gave you what you wanted.”

        “I wanted to be a part of the group, not a part of some joke.” Max spat.

        “It’s not a joke.” Susie argued.

        “You did a good job, okay? You can go tell the others I believed your lies if it gets you experience points or whatever.” Max joked.

        “We have a lot of rules in our party, but the most important is ‘Friends don’t lie’. Susie literally got it tattooed on her arm!"” Lucas said.

        “No matter what.” Susie finished, a frown and furrowed brows etched on her freckled face.

        “Is that right?” Max asked, “Then how do you explain this?” she gestured angrily to the room they were locked in.

        “We had to do that. To protect you.”

        “To protect me from who, exactly?” she sneered, exiting the back room. “The big bad government baddies from Hawkins lab?”

        “Lower your voice.” Susie snarled through clenched teeth.

        “Maybe it was to protect me from the Demogorgon from another dimension?” She asked jokingly.

        “Max, we’re serious! Shut up!” Lucas cried.

        “Oh, no, no! You know what it was?” Max said sarcastically, walking towards the front door, Lucas and Susie on her tail. “It was Eleven. The girl-” she was cut off by Susie quickly spinning her around and clamping a hand on the angry redhead’s piehole.

        “Stop talking.” Susie growled. Max furrowed her brows and ripped the teen’s hand off her mouth.

        “You’re going to get us killed.” Lucas whispered, looking over his shoulders. “Do you understand?”

        “You’re serious.” Max deadpanned.

        “We really wish we weren’t.” Susie murmured.

        “Prove it.” Max said sassily, crossing her arms and regaining her attitude.

        “We can’t.” whined Lucas.

        “So what, I’m just supposed to trust you?” she asked.

        “Yes.” Lucas and Susie said in tandem.

        Max sighed, throwing up her arms exasperatedly and turning to the exit of the arcade, only to see her stepbrother waiting in his car outside and her eyes widened, remembering his reaction last time he saw her with the boy as well as how _interested_ he was in Susie.

        “I gotta go.” she whispered and turned back, only for Lucas and Susie to step with her. “Um. Don’t follow me out. Okay?”

        “Do you believe us?” Lucas called as she left the arcade without another word and hopped into her brothers muscle car, sparing them a quick glance as they pulled away.


	4. Code Red

        Lucas and Susie scrambled for his walkie talkie after hearing Erica repeat the younger Henderson’s code red.

        “No, no, no, no, no, no!” he cried as he turned his walkie talkie to the proper channel. “Dustin! This is Lucas! Do you copy? Dustin?!”

        “Well, well, well,” came Dustin’s smug voice not a moment later. “Look who it is.”

        “My stupid sister turned it off.” Lucas said, earning a look from Susie before Dustin continued.

        “Well, while you were having sister problems, Dart grew again, he escaped and I’m pretty sure he’s a baby Demogorgon.”

        “What!?” Susie screeched, worried for the safety of her brother and the rest of the party.

        “Meet me and Steve at the old junkyard.” Susie and Lucas exchanged a confused look.

        “Steve?”

        “And Lucas, bring your binoculars and wrist rocket, Susie, bring your old baseball bat.” Dustin said, ignoring the question.

        “Wait, wait, wait. Steve Harrington?” she asked.

        “Just be there, stat. Over and out.” Dustin said before hanging up.

        Susie and Lucas looked at each other, and shrugged before getting to work and grabbing their equipment.


	5. Speed Limit

        Susie and Lucas pulled up outside the Hargrove-Mayfield household in her beat up, old yellow ‘69 Firebird.

        “Get your bike out of my trunk and bring Max to my house and we’ll walk over to the junkyard. Alright?”

        “Yes, ma’am.” Lucas saluted. She smiled at his gesture, ruffling his hair and causing him to laugh before unlocking the car.

        “Be careful.” she called before speeding off to gather her supplies.

        With her hands on the wheel and wind blowing through her hair, she looked down at her outfit—a skirt and t-shirt with her favourite jean jacket over top and a pair of Doc Martens—and sighed, no time to change. Just enough to get her old wooden baseball bat out of the basement, maybe a chain for some backup, and hope for the best.


	6. Surprise

        Susie, Lucas and Max arrived at the junkyard just in time to start helping out set up the abandoned bus’ defenses. Lucas and Dustin, however, were ducked behind a rusted out old car frantically whispering to each other. Steve was fed up and slammed his hands on the hood of the car, startling the boys.

        “Hey! Dickheads!” He yelled. Susie walked up behind him with her arms crossed and a scolding look on her face. “How come the only ones helping me out are your older sister,” Steve said, sharply pointing a finger at Dustin. “And this random girl?” Susie rolled her eyes and tapped him on the shoulder, startling him in return.

        “Hey, Dipshit.” She said, eyes half closed, eyebrow arched, and arms crossed. “That’s Max, and remember, _that,_ ” she gestured to Dustin. “Is my baby brother.”

        “Oh shit,” Steve said, a slightly apologetic look on his face. “Sorry for calling him a—”

        “No no, I totally agree with you on that,”

        “Hey!” Dustin cried out but the teens ignored him and Lucas snickered.

        “It’s my job to call him stupid names. Also, we lose light in forty, so let’s go, dickheads.” Susie said before turning and walking back to the bus and high fiving Max, with whom she had begun to form a bond with, like all the other kids in the party.

        Steve just stared at her retreating figure. Her large, toned thighs, the muscles rippling in her calves as she walked, how her curls shone gold in the sinking sun, the freckles spattered over skin. And _god_ how her hips swayed. He was gonna cream his pants just looking at her.

 _'Oh my god.’_ He realised. _‘I have a crush on Susie . . . and I’m figuring this out NOW?!’_

        And Dustin noticed.

        “Are you staring at my sister’s ass, Steven David Harrington?!” he cried and Steve freaked, quickly clapping his hand over the boy’s mouth.

        “Shut the fuck up, dipshit!” Steve whisper-yelled through his teeth with a bright flush on his cheeks. Dustin and Lucas looked at each other and doubled over laughing at their ‘babysitter’.

        “I was not! Besides,” Steve smirked. “Weren’t _you_ the one who asked for girl advice on the way here?” and it was Dustin’s turn to redden. Lucas laughed again as Steve smirked and Dustin stomped away to continue with the bus.

        “Let’s go!” Susie yelled, Lucas and Steve walking back over shortly.

        Steve was doing his best to concentrate on building up the bus’ defenses but he could not stop looking at her.

 _How could someone like_ her _be Dustin’s older sister?_ No offense to Dustin, of course, he was a cutie. But Susie. Susie was _hot_ . _How had he not noticed that before?_ Maybe he just hadn’t seen her as more than Dustin’s sister.

        And just like that, it was dark and Susie was left to pour the gasoline over the meat, leading to the bus. (Steve staring at her ass again, of course)

        “So you really fought one of these things before?” Max asked. Susie and Steve both nodded. “And you’re, like, totally 100% sure it wasn’t a bear.”

        “Sure as hell, Max.” Susie said. “I’ve still got the scar on my ankle from where it tried to grab me.” And she unzipped her boot and pulled down her sock to show the 3 deep scars down her calf and ankle, jagged and sharp. “They’re from it’s claws.” Susie said with a vaguely unnerving smile on her face, a bit sad, actually, with her eyes looking down at the raised lines but not really _looking._

        “And you’re _sure_ it wasn’t a —”

        “Don’t be an idiot. It wasn’t a bear.” Dustin said, making his older sister give him a look before she turned back to Max.

        “It like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” she whispered. “Almost like a blooming flower lined with teeth . . . If you look into its mouth, it’s endless.” she said with an almost thousand yard stare on her face, just gazing into the distance. Susie turned to the younger girl. “God, I hope you never have to look it in the face.” Max felt her sincerity and as well as uncomfortable and fell quiet for a moment before turning and climbing up the ladder to join Lucas on the roof.

        Steve winked and held up the ok sign at Dustin which Susie saw out of the corner of her eye and she raised her eyebrow at the boys.

        “Stop winking.” Dustin groaned. Steve kept on winking. “Stop!”

        “Why _are_ you winking, Steve?” she giggled making a flush rise to his cheeks at the sound that bubbled up from her throat. “What are you teaching my little brother?”

        “Oh nothing,” he shrugged with a cocky smile on his face. “Just how to get the girl.” Susie raised her eyebrows in amusement.

        “Oh yeah?” She asked turning to her brother now. “What exactly is Mr. Harrington teaching my baby brother?” she cooed in a squishy baby voice, pinching Dustin’s cheeks. They both laughed, and Steve was awestruck by the sound that bubbled up from her throat, as he swatted away her hand and crossed his arms trying to look cool.

        “It’s nothing, just the basic stuff.” He shrugged.

        “Like?” She sang, trying to coax it out of him.

        “Like, pretending I don’t care about ‘er.” He said proudly. Susie pursed her lips.

        “Oh really?” she asked, piquing Steve’s interest. “I call bullshit.” If Steve were drinking something, he would’ve spit it out immediately and he basically scrambled to hear more. Susie chuckled to herself.

        “Dude, if you care about her, tell her. Don’t make her think you’re not interested if you are.” She said softly. “And hey. You can come to me for that shit. Isn’t that my job? The hell, Dusty? You’re gonna get me fired!” She laughed and, again, Steve was mesmerised by the sound. Susie pulled Dustin in for a hug and gave him a noogie. He laughed and hugged her back before he went off to do his own thing. Susie sighed and scooched over to sit next to Steve.

        “This is kind of awesome.” Susie almost whispered causing Steve to jerk. He was staring and she turned to look at him with a soft smile on her face.

        “What?” he asked, obviously confused as to what she was referring to.

        “The fog, I mean.” she turned to look out the bus again. “It looks like an ocean.” He nodded and it was silent again.

        “Hey,” she whispered, turning her whole body to look into Steve’s eyes. “I’m glad you’ve kinda taken Dusty under your wing.” He nodded, almost urging her to go on. “It’s just that, since our dad left, my mom kind of just, stopped being a mom. I mean, yeah, she was there and she fed and clothed us, but it just wasn’t like it was. I was only nine but I sorta just turned into his parent. I was in charge of Dustin and,” she sighed. “He doesn’t remember him and I’m glad he doesn’t but he’s obviously been missing something I couldn’t give ‘im until you came along. I guess I just want to thank you for that.” He sat in stunned silence at her speech.

        “Wow.” he murmured. “I didn’t think I meant _that_ much to someone.” he sadly chuckled, not looking her in the eye.

        “What’s that supposed to mean?” Susie asked, brows furrowed in concerned as she shuffled ever closer to Steve.

        “I mean, I obviously don’t mean shit to my parents—they’re never home—and Nancy doesn’t feel anything for me.”

        “ _What?_ You and Nancy have been dating for, like, a year now. What’s going on?” He let out a sad chuckle.

        “What went on, you mean?” he asked, finally looking at her with a sad smile on his face and unshed tears in his eyes. “She, uh,” he sniffed. “She got drunk at that halloween party and told me our relationship was bullshit. I guess we’ve always been focused on other people.” He ducked his head as tears began to drip down his cheeks. Susie’s heart broke at the sight of ‘King Steve’ this way. She took his head in her hands, wiping his tears away with her thumbs before bringing him in for a tight hug and rubbing his back as it wracked with silent sobs, not wanting to alert the kids to his predicament. They sat there for a moment until his tears subsided. Her shoulder was damp by the time Steve sat up and sniffled, wiping his eyes and letting a genuine smile shine through.

        “Thanks for that, by the way. Didn’t mean to spill my guts there.” Susie said, rubbing the back of her neck.

        “Why are you thanking me? You’re the one who did all the comforting. I should be thanking you.”

        “Well, I haven’t told anyone that in the, what, seven, almost eight years this has been going on? It was nice let that out. And, hey, it’s not like you’re the only one who let loose some tears.” she chuckled.

        They leaned back against the wall and sat there in a comfortable silence with each other until Steve noticed some light humming. It was coming from Susie.

        “What are you humming?” He asked, not being able to identify the song.

        “Black Sabbath.” She said absentmindedly, continuing to look out the window until she heard a light chuckle from Steve and turned to see a lopsided grin on his face. “What?” she snickered, a goofy smile on her face as well.

        “It’s just, you didn’t strike me as that kind of girl.” Steve said with a twinkle in his eye.

        “Oh yeah?” Susie asked as she leaned in. “What kind of girl do you take me for?”

        She was so close she almost see all the individual hairs that made up his magnificent coiffe and the faint twinkle in his eyes that seemed to shimmer only for her.

        And he was so close he could see every single freckle spattered across her nose and distinguish each of her long, brown eyelashes that only made her bright blue eyes look more doe-like.

        His beautiful hazel eyes kept on drifting from hers to her mouth in swift little movements, obviously hoping she wouldn’t notice. She did.

        Nonetheless that didn’t stop her from doing the same.

        They were _so close_ and his lips were so _pink_ and hers looked so _soft_ . They were close enough that if they just leaned forward a _little bit more_ and —

        That was when a low, loud growling echoed around the junkyard, jolting both teenagers out of their stupor so hard that Susie and Steve bashed foreheads. Susie, being the caring person she was, quickly grimaced before going to check Steve when Lucas yelled out,

        “I’ve got eyes! Ten o’clock! Ten o’clock!” The Hendersons and Steve pressed their eyes into a peephole in the side of the bus and searched the dense fog.

        “There.” Susie murmured, pointing to a shadow lurking through the mist.

        “What’s he doing?” asked Dustin.

        “I don’t know.” said Steve. They all sat in silence, their faces pressed up against the grating, listening.

         “He’s not taking the bait, why’s he not taking the bait?”

        “Maybe he’s not hungry?” Dustin whispered.

        “Maybe he’s sick of cow.” Susie muttered.

        They stood there for a moment more when Steve backed up, eyes still looking into the fog, and Dustin and Susie turned to give him a quizzical look, mirroring each other almost exactly. Steve met both of their gazes, his face stern, before turning and walking towards the door.

        “Steve?” Dustin asked a slight panic in his voice, no answer. “Steve, what are you doing?”

        “Steve?” called out Susie, and that was when he stood up to look at the siblings.

        He held up the metal lighter he had and looked them in the eyes.

        “Just get ready.” said Steve. He tossed it at Susie and that was when they noticed the baseball bat gripped in his left hand.

        When they realised what he was about to do, the door creaked open and Steve stepped out into the blue fog, eyes shifting and bat ready to swing. A low rumbling rang out and Dustin quickly shut the door.

        Steve stepped out even further and whistled for Dart like he was a lost dog.

        “Come on, Buddy.” he murmured before whistling again, the high notes piercing the nearly silent air.

        “What’s he doing?” Max asked, climbing down the ladder to situate herself next to Dustin at the window.

        “Expanding the menu.” breathed Susie, hand tightly wrapped around Steve’s lighter.

        “Come on, Buddy.” Steve said in a voice like one used to talk to puppies. “Come on, Buddy. Come on. Dinner time. Human tastes better than cat, I promise.” He said, swinging his bat as he crept up on the baby demogorgon.

        “He’s insane.” Max whispered.

        “He’s awesome.” smiled Dustin.

        “He’s stupid.” Susie muttered.

        That was when Steve cleared the fog with his bat and finally laid eyes on the creature. It raised its haunches and peeled it’s lips back in a snarl, a low, guttural rumbling coming from deep within it. He held his bat forward, shuffling a bit on his feet, and Susie could tell he was beginning to get nervous, she was too.

        “I have to go out there and help him.” she said as she got up.

        “No, Susie! You’ll scare Dart and that’ll make it worse! Plus, how am I supposed to protect you if you’re out there and I’m in here?” Dustin cried, rushing in front of her to block the door.

        Susie sighed and ran her hands down her face, streaks of dirt replacing where her fingers were.

        “Look, if it starts to get worse, I’m going out there and you can’t stop me. Here.” She Dustin’s hand and placed the lighter in his upturned palm. “You’ll know when to use it.”

        Dustin simply closed his hands around the lighter and gave her a quick salute before burying himself in her arms.

        “Please be careful out there.” he mumbled, voice blocked from where his face sat firmly in her chest. “Promise me you won’t die.”

        She chuckled and hugged him back just as tight. “I promise.”

        “Uh, guys? I think this lovefest should be over. There’s another one out there!” Max worried and Susie made a move to grab her bat and chain.

        “Steve, watch out!” Lucas cried from the top of the bus.

        “Little busy here.” Steve said, slowly creeping up on Dart.

        “Three o’clock! Three o’clock!”

        Steve turned around with a grimace to find another creature perched on top of a rusted out car, drool dripping from its fangs.

        “Steve!” shouted Dustin from the open door, trying to block Susie from rushing out to his aid. “Abort! Abort!”

        But before Steve even had the chance to book it back to the bus, a growl sounded out even closer and he turned to find Dart with its mouth wide open and it charged him. Steve squatted down and just before it was too late, he dove out of the way and rolled across the hood of a car, the other just nearly missing him and going through the windshield as a third came up from the side.

        “Steve, hurry! Steve, run! Come on!” cried the kids and he ran for the bus, all three of them on his heels. He dove in and Dustin quickly shut the reinforced door just in time. The whole bus began to shake with the force of the demogorgons trying to get inside.

        “Shit!” Dustin blubbered as Lucas and Max screamed and Steve fell into Susie’s arms. She smiled down at Steve before dropping him to grab a sheet of metal and hold it up against the door.

        “Are they rabid or something?” Max yelled.

        “They can’t get in! They can’t!” Lucas cried.

        “No shit they can’t get in,” Susie grunted, straining a bit under the force of their pushing. “If they did we’d be done for.”

        Steve braced his feet against the metal to help when the bus began shaking even harder, making the kids scream.

        It stopped for but a second and they all looked around with wide eyes when a claw burst through the door, almost catching Susie in the shoulder. “Shit!” she yelled as the rest of them screamed and scattered, ducking behind seats or underneath some junk.

        Susie quickly grabbed her bat and began beating the claw while Dustin kept repeating ‘shitshitshitshitshit’.

        “Is anyone there?” Dustin cried into his headset. “Mike? Will? God! Anyone! Shit!” Another set of talons seared through the metal. “We’re at the old junkyard, and we are going to die!”

        That was when a loud thud sounded from the roof. Susie blanched and looked through the bus, catching Max who had the same look on her face. Max, gripping the ladder, looked up through the emergency exit to see one of the monsters slink up to the opening.

        “Max!” Susie cried before rushing to move the kids, leaving Steve to deal with the door situation.

        The creature growled and Max let out a bloodcurdling scream.

        “Out of the way! Out of the way!” Susie yelled, pushing Max behind her. “You want some? Come get this!” She yelled as the monster opened its mouth and let out a terrifying screech before it turned its head, as if someone called out to it. It let out another growl before leaping away, leaving Susie standing at the base of the ladder, bat gripped in her hands, ready to strike, and a look that could kill on her face. The bus shook and they were gone, calling out into the night.

        Susie lowered her weapon to look at everyone. Steve was stood right behind her with Dustin behind him and Max and Lucas to his side, hands held tightly together, before Lucas quickly pulled away, leaving Max to look confused and a little shell-shocked on her own.

        Steve approached the ladder, his bat still at the ready and listening.

        “They’re gone.” whispered Susie, gently placing her hand on his forearm. He only stood there as Susie made her way to the door.

        She slowly pulled it open, weapon leading, and stepped out, a loud creak in the door startling her. “Jeez.” she muttered before looking around. A low growling still rang out as a creature bounded away, and as she began to creep farther out of the buses defenses, she noticed someone trailing her and turned her head to get a quick glance at who it was. _Steve_ , his weapon at the ready as well.

        “What happened?” Lucas cautioned, stepping out of the bus as well.

        “I don’t know.” murmured Max.

        “Susie scared ‘em off?” suggested Dustin.

        “No,” Steve said, so sure. “No way. They’re going somewhere.”


End file.
